


The Taming of the Admin

by Sharo



Category: Hermitcraft
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst and Smut, Blow Jobs, Demise minigame, Multi, Omegaverse dynamics, POV Changes, Pegging, Season Sixfinity, Sex, Stalking, Threesome, Tit job, Vaginal Sex, but i guess we get a little as a treat, exploring new reasons for Xisuma's armour, feral demised, i'm not sure where this developed plot, mild bondage, most of this is TFC/Xisuma/Cleo smut, non-traditional dynamics, not sorry because they deserve it, prompt in the discord chat, really what is 'traditional' a/b/o at this point?, taking minigames and making them horny, taming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-13 19:27:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29531262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sharo/pseuds/Sharo
Summary: Demise is in full swing, and the Hermits participating in the late-season game are finding some of the side effects to be a little more intense than they’re used to when they fall. For most of the Demised, it’s a pleasurable distraction from hunting and laying traps.For one, it’s a revelation, and perhaps the start of something new.
Relationships: TFC/Cleo, TFC/Xisuma/Cleo, implied Scar/Cub
Comments: 13
Kudos: 42





	The Taming of the Admin

**Author's Note:**

  * For [catawhumpus (ironmermaidens)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ironmermaidens/gifts).



Xisuma was really, _really_ grateful for his helmet today. Working on the Demised Base, in such close proximity to his demised servermates was quickly becoming an uncomfortable lesson in self-control and humility.

The premise to the game was good, and the thrill of danger that it added to a late-game world gave everyone an extra edge, that little zing of excitement when everything had been settled down into a mindless comfort. But what they hadn't taken into account (what _he_ hadn't, let's be real here), was the changes that Demise wrought _after._

He knew from long practice that keeping an active A/B/O server from collapsing in on itself took extra attention to detail with any changes to the world's codes. It was why they waited to verify updates, why they didn't use mods, why even the data packs were meticulously picked through and agreed on as a group. Why any games that dealt with player deaths or respawn took special care and handling when coded in.

Cubfan passed behind him in the open area, somehow still pressing close and brushing against his armour; as if they were working in a narrow space that he had to sidle past. Xisuma carefully ignored the overture, keeping his focus on the placement of blocks in front of him. The usually reserved omega had been not-so-subtly close to him for the last few days, even after Xisuma had turned him back to others several times. And when Cub’s hand groped at him on a second pass, he stored what he was working on and made an inelegant bee-line for the exit.

He had to ignore Impulse and Tango in the hallway, clothes in disarray as they went at each other, mated-pair pheromones filling the area. Just inside the trapped entrance was Stress and Grian, the blonde’s head held close to her hips as she leaned into the wood pillar behind her. Someone called his name and grabbed him back before he could pass them, drawing him back into the other hallway.

Ren held him against the wall with a hand on his chest. “Hey, man. You’re leavin’ in an awful hurry. What’s up?”

“I’m fine,” he replied automatically. But the alpha’s scent was too close to his filters, even the little bit that was starting to come through put him on edge in a different way than Cub’s sweetness. “Just needed some fresh air.”

Ren’s smile was darker somehow beneath the grey hood of his demised skin. “Cub’s been asking after you. I’m a little surprised that you haven’t taken that sweet omega for a ride yet.”

“Ren!”

His yelp seemed to call Ren back from darker thoughts, blinking quickly beneath the sunglasses. Ren pulled his hand back, flipping the hood down and rubbing the back of his head as he took a step back. “Sorry, man. Demised has definitely brought out the horny in me. Didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

Xisuma sighed, leaning into the wall behind him as his helmet scrubbed his air clean. “Not as uncomfortable as Cub’s making me. I don’t know how he got so _fixated_ on me of all people.”

"It's because you demised him, X."

"I- what?"

Ren gave him an incredulous look. "Duh, haven't you noticed? It's kinda a thing, y'know? Like me 'n Stress going after Grian so hard- especially because he was _there_ when we demised. Makes me just wanna mark him all over, turn him over my knees and-"

"Whoakay there." Xisuma closed his eyes and took a deep breath, all too aware of his body's visceral reaction to even the thought of- that. "But you're both alpha's, and Grian's been teasing everyone. Cub-"

"Cub is panting after you because _you_ demised him, X-man. You may not have fired the arrow, but you were _present_ and responsible for it."

"But he's been with Scar!" Deep void, just how badly had this mishap disturbed their usual lives? "He's not _actually_ interested in me, I've never given him any reason to be."

Ren slid the dark glasses down his nose, dark eyes following Xisuma's fidgeting. "Are you upset that he is? I mean, I know you're super private about that sorta thing, but even as a beta, I'm sure you could handle him if you wanted to."

The shock of cold was like suddenly falling out of the world. At least it took care of his.. other problem.

"Yeah," he agreed absently, already needing to be far, far away from this conversation. "I'll.. go talk to Scar.. or something.." The rockets were in his hand, but a heavy grip caught his wrist again before he could make his escape.

Ren pressed up close, his overactive alpha hormones just barely making in through the helmet's air filters.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, if you'd like to just take the edge off. The Ren-diggity may have a line, but he can make an exception, too."

Xisuma yanked his hand free and fled, entirely too many rockets used as he sped towards spawn, ignoring the much-too-close nether portal nestled in the little Halloween-turned-Demised village. His armour was too tight, too confining, and for the first time in years he wanted to find something-some _one_ to rut against.

He'd hidden too long beneath his armour, and it was coming back, all too ready to destroy him.

***********

Cleo spotted Xisuma landing in the shopping district, pacing and muttering to himself in front of the old kelp shop. His shoulders were tight beneath the armour, something almost like anger running through the normally composed admin. Errand forgotten, she felt herself drawn towards him, wanting to run her hands along the armour, feel his muscles shiver beneath her cold touch. He didn't seem to notice her, focused on something inside of his helmet instead of his surroundings.

Cleo grinned and let her body move stealthily across the open paths, embracing the urge to creep up and pounce on the predator before her. Demise had brought back the thrill of hunting, stalking prey and predator alike, and for fighting tooth and nail for what she wanted. And _want_ she did, for the warm feeling of a body against hers, whether it was giving or taking, it didn't matter. Somewhere a little voice noticed something off about the whole tableau, but she shoved that down, reminding herself that the Demised were special now, something _more_ than they had been.

Her last rush was near silent in the falling dusk, bare feet gripping the path blocks neatly as she lept down at her unsuspecting target.

She wasn't expecting the low growl, or the iron grip of the hands that caught her, wrestling her easily to the ground. Hard armour and feverheat surrounded her, a strong body supporting hers as they rolled briefly, her body going happily pliant as it recognised a stronger will. She mewled in contentment, rolling her hips and submitting to her "fate."

All keyed up to be ravaged, it was even more of a shock to be dumped back to the ground. A gloved hand supported her head for the briefest of ticks, but even that was pulled away. Body and mind protested, a grey haze settling over her vision as her prey-turned-predator backed away.

"What am I, dog meat? Not good enough for you?” She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been turned down, even Joe on his grouchy days could be convinced with a wiggle of her hips and a firm hand. The denial made her want it even more, to be taken and held, comforted by an alpha’s embrace. Cleo spread her legs eagerly, arching her back and rolling forward as the hermit of her desire took another shaky step back. “You’re not as immune to my charms as you think you are. Come on,” she was on her stomach now, arousal pooling in her gut as she taunted in hopes of a feral fuck. “Take me here, or carry me away. I’ll be good for ‘ya.” She closed her eyes as he leaned forward, trying to catch that tantalizing smell, so elusive under the armour that hid it. “It’s Demise, take what you will.”

A cut-off curse and then a spam of rockets blew a cold breeze back at her, and she opened her eyes.

She was alone, horny and aching, kneeling on the path in front of the kelp shop.

“Well, fuck.”

***********

TFC reread the strange message. “What in blazes does he expect me to do about that?”

He stored his pickaxe and made his way back to the Overseer’s quarters, absently picking up a few stray items and storing them away as he checked that everything was in order. This Demised business was turning out to be much stranger than even he imagined, what with everyone turning on the other team’s players and distracted with traps and bunkers. He’d accepted his fate, glad of the respite of checking his base constantly for the deadly things scattered about. His bunker was finally his again, even if Cleo had been hiding away in it before her untimely death.

Which brought him back to Xisuma’s message. “ _Cleo’s in the shopping district, needs some tlc.”_ Could we be a little more vague there, X? A shulker box was stocked with potions and bandages, gathered up along with his best non-diamond armour before he headed towards the outside access tunnel.

Cleo was indeed in the middle of the shopping district, sitting by herself on the shoveled path, completely ignoring the few mobs beginning to spawn as the moon rose. They’d done their best to light it up, but rarely was anything _completely_ safe. She didn’t answer when he called out, staring up at the stars.

It wasn’t until he’d gotten within a few blocks of her that he could make out the tears on her cheeks. 

“Cleo? Hun?”

She sighed wetly, not even looking at him. “He didn’t want me.” Phantoms cried from a distance, as if voicing her own sorrow.

“Sounds like you haven’t slept in a bit with all this hubbub. Let’s at least get you inside, kay?” TFC rested a hand on her shoulder, nearly startled when she turned into it with her entire body, nearly pulling him down to the ground with her. “Cleo?” Her scent was strong where she pressed against him, as if she’d recently been with a hermit near their rut, all keyed up with energy and nothing to spend it on.

She mumbled something, the screech of phantoms covering it, closer as they readied to swoop on their prey. He hefted her easily, settling her against his chest as he jogged back for the little ore shop. Her normally cool skin was warm against him, and he had to consciously ignore the way she pressed into him, her body rocking insistently in his hold.

“Gonna need you to climb the ladder yourself, Cleo.” he told her as he closed and bolted the door behind him. “Think you can manage that?”

She slid languidly to the floor, tossing back the trapdoor and giving him a glower. It didn’t work on him, he was much too used to her particular brattiness. “Only if you promise to take me to bed and fuck me ‘till I can’t see straight.”

TFC gave her a half-bow, and gestured to the ladder. “Get yourself down there then, you know where my bed is.”

Her silver hair disappeared down the chute, and he pulled his comm back out before following her.

<TinfoilChef to xisuma> I’ve got Cleo, she’s in good hands. Something else going on that I need to know about?

He sent off the message, and considered the situation. A niggling suspicion made him wonder if he should start demanding answers as well.

<TinfoilChef to xisuma> or maybe something you’d like to share with the class?

<xisuma to TinfoilChef> ty, looking into something. ii’ll get back to you as soon as i can

Well, that wasn’t very informative. TFC shook his head and checked that the ladder was clear, closing the trapdoor behind him before sliding down the side rungs with easy practice. Cleo was no where to be seen, but the scent of her arousal hung in the air. 

That.. wasn’t normal. Little things were starting to come together; the odd messages in chat, a few comments in the “demised-team” private chat, an odd warning Rendog had given him when he’d respawned in the Demised Cemetery. 

“ _Welcome to the Dead Team, TFC. Though ‘dead’ is a relative term, and some things run warmer than usual around these parts.”_

He’d waved Ren off at the time, relieved to finally get back to his base without constantly finding it trapped. But the younger alpha’s scent had been thick then, though he’d explained it away to himself as Ren having been settled in the area for a while at that point.

He nearly lost his train of thought as he walked in the open door to the bedroom. Cleo’s clothing lay scattered about, and the woman was standing beside the bed, head down and waiting for him.

He’d never thought twice about accepting her in his bed, zombied look and all. Cleo was a fantastic lover, attentive and demanding in turn, and not above stretching out their time enjoying copious amounts of foreplay. But tonight was different, something just that nudge off of center about her, about the way that she stood, about her smell that seemed to hang in the room.

“Something’s.. different, Tin.”

He made a non-committal sound, opting instead to re-store his armour and potion box in the corner chest. 

Cleo didn’t move, her hands clenched at her sides, bright eyes closed for the moment. “I know the boys have been stronger lately. Demised...did something, changed their heats and ruts, made their urges...more.”

“More?”

She pouted at the smooth sheets. “Heavier. Ramped up. Dripping all over the damned place.” The muscles in her back flexed, buttocks tightening for a tick before relaxing again. “Making me want to hang around and fuck them all into the floor. Every. Day.”

Well that sounded about par for the course. “What happened in the shopping district?” He stripped off his shirt, folding and laying it across the little desk chair.

Her breathy moan sent shivers down his spine. “Mmm, spicy alpha distracted me. Was stalking him, was caught and wanted to be pinned into the mud, wanted to be claimed like an eager omega…”

TFC stood behind her, ran the fingers of a wide hand along her side from thigh to armpit. She melted easily into him, her back resting against his chest for just a tick before undulating into his warmth. “Not so different from helping an alpha in rut. Does being demised make the feeling stronger?”

She moaned as his hands slipped beneath her arms, hung just a little on his forearms as he held the base of her breasts, squeezing gently at the taut skin that sat beneath their heaviness. His thumbs rested on her ribs, deeper pressure there as she took a deep breath. “Ren says yes, but there’s gotta be more to it. Oh, that’s nice.” Her head rested on his shoulder, her slow breaths puffing beside his ear. “Control was shot, and I pounced on X of all people. Scared him off, and he left me in the dust.”

He lowered his mouth to her bare shoulder, kissing outward towards her arm as his hands moved towards her belly. “Even Demised I can’t see him interested. Sorry he turned you down, love, but it’s his loss.” But her next words made him freeze.

“He smelled like an alpha, Tin. Strongest I’ve ever been near, and that was with his armour still on.” Her hands were tugging his lower, cupping the pouch of her abdomen before reaching between her legs.

“But he’s… he’s… “ She laughed as he probably came to the same conclusion she had. “Bugger. He’s never _said,_ has he?”

Her hips tilted against his hand, warm and heavy like the moan she gave as he let his fingers dip inside of her. “Such a silly man, our X. But enough about him, I want you to take me like you mean it.”

“I always do, dear Cleo.”

And when she spun in his arms it was easy, to hold the muscled globes of her ass as her hands unfastened his pants, to step forward and lift her onto the bed before sinking down onto her. Her arms and scent enveloped him, welcomed him in with eager kisses and limbs.

***********

Keralis' death message came through late in the afternoon, shortly followed by BdoubleO. Xisuma brought up their files, ready to try and catch the code changes in action, see where he'd gone wrong with the syntax. His eyes skimmed as the process updated, lines of the world code changing and modifying in real-time, highlighted beneath his fingertips.

The kickback caught what he had missed, and he held the scrolling text for a screenshot. _There_ , a modifier had dropped, and a tiny piece of code had rewritten itself to compensate.

He groaned and slumped back in his chair, nearly knocking his tea to the floor as his arm dropped to the desk. Demise had overridden the server's code for suppressed pheromones. And negated the player's ability to suppress them manually. Fuck. Who else on the server still took them? The Hermits who bothered had dwindled year after year, until there were only a handful who had chosen not to bond or suppress their natures.

_Suppose it's a good thing, that everyone's grown into themselves and comfortable enough not to need the extra worry of taking a monthly pill._ But the thought made him sick to his stomach. **_Almost_ ** _everyone_. 

He sighed and dug out his personal files, searching for the list of active and inactive Hermits, and his administrative notes attached to each. Join dates and world notes, preferences and assignations were all meticulously detailed with every world change, some files updated regularly for full-season Hermits, some with few notes as they joined for only a short time before leaving for private worlds or modded servers.

Nostalgia hit him each time he brought these up, remembering faces and friendships over the years. And one in particular, who had touched his life for the better from the very start of HermitCraft.

A knock on the portal frame startled him into actually knocking the cold cup of tea over. He swore quietly and searched for wool to mop it up, almost missing the quiet footsteps of someone stepping through.

"Shashwammy! Guess who's on the dead team now!"

The ozone smell of a recent death still hung on Keralis' skin as he hugged Xisuma from behind. But stronger than that was the berry-sweet scent of Bdubs wafting over from the doorway.

"IDEA is back together again, all of us on the same team now."

Xisuma curled forward like he'd been punched in the gut, Keralis giggling and hanging on to him. He'd felt overheated when he got back to the base, his armours off and helmet sitting on the floor beside his wall of maps. 

"Mm, Shashwammy, you smell so _good_." And Keralis' face was pressed against the sensitive glands on his neck, digging his fingers into his chest, heedless of the gulping breaths Xisuma was taking.

But each breath just brought a fresh wave of Bdubs' rising arousal, coming closer as Keralis held Xisuma in place, trapped in the little room.

"Wow, is this from demise? Death never smelled this spicy before." Bdubs' voice was breathy, sniffing loudly as he approached. "Unless that's just the tea?" he didn't sound too sure, and the hand that landed on Xisuma's shoulder was so warm, carrying his sugared-berry smell much too close to Xisuma's fogging senses.

The pain of his sudden erection snapped Xisuma out of a brief fantasy of tossing his friends to the floor and marking them both with his teeth.

"Get away from me!" He tore away from Keralis' embrace, stumbling from the chair and fumbling his helmet as he retreated towards the portal. Without the chestplate his helmet wouldn't seal, not completely, but it was a comforting layer between him and the stunned faces in front of him.

Not completely stunned, not with the sappy, hungry look Bdubs was giving him, eyes dilated with lust and omega-fog, licking his lips and palming the front of his pants. Keralis-

Keralis was staring at him, as if he'd been offered a plate of diamonds for a simple smile, his eyes wide and sparkling.

"Oh, Shashwammy. How have you hidden _this_ for so long?" His slow blink almost made Xisuma pause, hoping he would take the hint, and not-

Bdubs was shuffling forward like a zombie, led by his nose as his eyes nearly glazed over. "Please, you smell so good," his hands were undoing his belt, ready and shaking with his need, his _want._ "You can have me right here, right now, Sisuma." 

Neither of them seemed to notice his quick breaths, his hands torn between reaching out to _claim_ and reaching for the doorway portal. He couldn't stand to hurt them, but he would, either way. To claim them while under the influence, without clear-headed permission given, or to turn them down as they begged for his touch.

Only one was irreversible, though. The portal swirled through his vision with another step back, and he had to look away from their desperate pleas as he teleported away, fleeing quickly on the other side.

***********

Cub and Scar cornered him in the graveyard, under the pretense of needing more stone for the demised builds. He should have been more suspicious, Cubfan lurking at the outskirts as Scar smiled pleasantly, distracting him with gossip and talk of the mansion he was building beside the floating castle. And then the invite into the basement of his crypt.

The smell of pheremones and sex was so thick he could almost see it, and he froze in the entranceway. It didn't stop Scar from pushing him forward, or Cub clinging to his back when he stumbled forward. 

"We need to talk, X."

"We really don't. I have projects to work on, I need to-"

Scar's frown made him pause, but he really didn’t want to be here, feeling more trapped by the moment.

“Come on, X. You’ve been running non-stop, and Cubby says that you’re avoiding him. Can we just talk about it, maybe come to a.. mutually beneficial arrangement and-”

Xisuma ducked aside, deftly detaching Cub and spinning him into Scar. “I really don’t think so. I’ll leave the two of you to whatever you want to do, but keep me out of it. Please.”

He had to look away from Cub’s crestfallen look, the little whine he gave as Scar held him up.

Though Scar seemed to be losing his good-natured patience. “Damnit, X. It's just a game, just a little fun. It's not like he wants to bond with you or anything." He didn't seem to notice Xisuma's flinch, nosing instead at Cubfan's neck, his hands wrapped around the dirty lab coat as Cub rocked back into him. "I don't know why it's not hitting you like the rest of us, since you've been Demised nearly as long as Grimdawg. You could at least play along."

"You really don't know what you're asking for." He needed to leave, he was already backing away, pickaxe in hand to tear his way out if he had to. "This isn't like either of you, to press the issue when someone says no."

Cub's white eyes met his, somewhere between glaring and hopeful.

"But you haven't _said_ 'no'. And you keep building with me, and setting traps, and bringing resources." He was squirming again, trying to get out of Scar's hold. "Why haven't you said no, Sisuma?"

It sounded like an accusation, even if it was meant in earnest. And still he couldn't bring himself to say it, the rising scent of arousal intoxicating and distracting. Too much, between this and Cleo and Bdubs…

“Go find someone else for your game, then.” He still couldn’t say it, fighting his instinct and turning away from them. “I’m done.” Was it always this difficult to walk away? He just wanted to keep them safe, but that meant he needed to leave, not gather Cub into his arms and spread him open, fill him and breed him until his omega couldn’t walk, entirely dependant on-

“‘Suma?”

Xisuma swore and swung his elytra back on. He needed to stay away from this district, stay away from the Demised, stay away from.. Whatever in the void was going on in his head. He needed to clear his head, find somewhere they wouldn’t think to look for him. Somewhere they couldn’t find his scent, and he wouldn’t catch theirs…

He was back in the shopping district before he knew it, right back to where he’d been jumped by Cleo yesterday. The area seemed empty again, everyone avoiding it for fear of traps and the Demised team. Which made him rethink the message he’d sent to TFC. He probably owed his friend an apology, and a better explanation. Especially after dumping Cleo into his hands. TFC should be safe, in more ways than one. His bunker sprawled across a large enough area, there should be somewhere he could hole up in, not be in its owner’s way for a bit.

He was halfway down the ladder into TFC’s bunker before he realized he’d made up his mind. A quick check showed TFC was afk, so he could probably look around a bit, see what the reclusive builder had been up to. Maybe get lost in his mines for a bit, clear out his foggy brain and pay TFC back with some resources in exchange for a place to hide away.

***********

The mine was massive. He really shouldn’t be surprised that he got lost this quickly. TFC was known for his grinding, for his ability to sniff out ores and resources underground, he should have expected to find himself turned around much sooner than he'd noticed.

Xisuma shook his head, trying to clear the brain fog that still lingered. The mines should have been cool, this far underground. But he was still too warm and felt feverish, as if lava pools surrounded every corridor and kept ratcheting up the heat. He'd stored his helmet away, giving up on keeping it seated properly without putting on the rest of his armour.

The moans of zombies distracted him as he tried another branch, still searching for the entrance. One of the side tunnels was blocked up oddly, different from the rest of the line. There must have been an open cave behind it, judging by all of the groaning, maybe something TFC wasn’t willing to deal with at the time and intended to come back to. He could deal with it, the open space may be cooler than the heat in the tunnels.

Xisuma broke open the tunnel, sword at the ready for the possible horde beyond. It’s easy enough to let sweeping edge do most of the work for him in the tight quarters, pushing the mindless undead back and felling them in groups. He lets himself enjoy the physicality of it, swinging the sword and occasionally punching a zombie that gets too close as he follows the tunnel further back. Until his boots are covered in water, and he realizes he’s fighting the current as well, fresh zombies being pushed towards him. It’s exciting, to watch them fall into orbs of xp, each fresh batch cut down by his sword, carried towards him on each sweet wave.

Since when do zombies smell like caramel?

The thought makes him pause, the meticulously placed water sources and current pushing him back towards where he had broken in. There’s only one zombie still moving towards him, but more than enough distance that he has time to consider the oddity. His helmet is off, and he hasn’t scented mobs in years. But it doesn’t make sense, that they would smell so close to arousal…

His momentum stops when the water stream does, and he’s hit all over again by his own peppery musk mixing with the recent caramel. Was someone else.. no, he’s been mining alone for.. for.. 

Something dies behind the zombie that’s still moving towards him, and it picks up the dropped rotten flesh, brandishing it mindlessly as it reaches striking range.

“Found you.”

He stared dumbly at the zombie, sword raised but not moving. He’s hard, and the desire to _claim_ makes even less sense than a speaking zombie in front of him. The zombie dies with a groan, and then Cubfan is plastered against him, sword hilt pressed against his back as he is enveloped in his scent. 

"I'm an excellent tracker, X. You're leaving a tasty trail that's easy to follow." 

Cub's scent was _delicious_ , and he closed his eyes as he lowered his face into the collar of the labcoat. The soft beard is a pleasant scrape against his cheek. Why had he fought this earlier? Here was an eager omega, just asking to be taken care of, wanting his strength to hold him down and pin him, claim him. The omega is close to heat, but there's an undercurrent to his scent, something that's the tiniest bit wrong about it. He growled and pulled back, grabbing the collar of the coat and shoving the smaller omega forward, towards the entrance of the tunnel. He needs to get him out of the water, find the source of the disgruntlement.

The hallway seems smaller now, when he tosses the omega at the opposite wall. It whines and drops the sword, the clatter lost as he crowds him up against the stone, tearing at the old labcoat and burying his face against the omega's neck. A nip and the omega is whining, words lost as he squirms for skin-on-skin contact, trying to distract him from searching his scent.

He finds what he's looking for, and his stomach sours as he shoves the greedy omega away.

"You're already _claimed_ ," he accused, backing himself down the hall, rubbing at his nose to clear the stench. He's not so far gone that he'll take another player's mate, whether he begs for it or not. 

But the omega doesn't like that answer, doesn't back down like he should. "Want you, too. You keep running away, not letting anyone scent you." Wild eyes are staring at him, trying to pin him in place. "You've been holding out on us, and now you taunt us with your helmet off and leave your scent markers all over the world." Someone is calling their names, the sound echoing in the tunnels, nearly impossible to tell which direction it comes from.

"Go find your mate, I don't want a fight." He tries to contain his growl, the hallway feeling smaller as more scents drift their way, the omega's mate and another aroused beta.

"Fight or fuck, alpha. It's Demise, there are no more rules."

"There are always rules." Rules for the world, for pvp and partner swaps, rules for the codes.. a problem in the code? He shook his head, the thought trying to remind him of.. something. Something that wasn't right, something that needed to be fixed? Like the omega that was circling him, sword back in his hand, ready to fight for what he wanted.

A strong omega, prized by whomever he claimed, or allowed to claim him. He could fix that, mark him over the beta's claim, he would be better anyway, better suited to care for his heat over a beta.

He snarled at the wild swing of the omega's sword, ducking below and grabbing at his chest, bearing them both to the ground as the sword dropped again. The omega fought him, fought him like he wanted him to _win_ , rolling under him, pressing against him with a rising purr. He pinned the omega on his belly, drinking in the sweet burnt-sugar smell as he crouched over him.

"Sizuma! Cub! What are you _doing?!_ "

The voice was high and shrill, and no less startling for the sour distress that clouded the sweet smell of omega. More voices, more scents, distracting from his claim, voices raised in confusion and anger. Another beta grabbed his shoulder and he snapped at the offending hand, teeth bared in a snarl. Someone barked an order, but they weren't in charge, they weren't alphas to contest his claim, couldn't keep him from what was _his._.

A grey blur came from the side and he turned towards the new threat, a female beta smelling of sex and arousal that knocked him back, using her body as a shield to steal what was _his_.

Her hands were around his neck but her mouth was wet and eager beneath his, grinding against him as she rolled him further away from the omega. This was the beta he'd almost taken the other day, when she'd pounced and he.. he.. 

Xisuma tore his mouth away, shoved Cleo back to fall against TFC, his chest aching as TinFoil caught and pushed her behind him. The void wasn't deep enough to contain what he'd nearly done. Something wrong with the code, wrong with _him._ He pushed himself up the stone wall, locked his knees and stood up straight to face their disgust and horror.

Except Cub was still staring at him hungrily, pulling and whining at Scar's hands as his partner tried to help him up, tried to pull him close and away from _him,_ from the monster that had tried to _steal_ his mate.

He remembered Bdubs staring at him the same way, mindless and glazed with need, sweet scent tantalizing and encouraging him to give in as well.

He was out of space, nearly out of options. Cub's absolute devotion to catching him could be his undoing. So when he broke free from Scar and focused directly on him, there was only one thing to do.

Xisuma ran, and TFC swore as Cleo slipped around him, hot on Cub's heels. Scar just looked lost, questioning him with a look.

"Well?"

He growled at the other Demised. "Come on, Scar. Cub is your responsibility, I'll handle the other two."

Scents were easy to track in the underground maze, even when Cleo's split off from the others. TFC directed Scar. 

"Cleo knows the bunker well, she'll be moving to cut them off near the cafeteria." he explained as they ran. "I know Cub's been here setting traps, but I don't know if he's as familiar with the layout."

Scar panted beside him, nose twitching. "I just don't understand what's gotten into Cub lately. He's not usually this.. aggressive, even during a heat."

TFC took a hard left, grabbing Scar's arm to steady him when he almost went into the wall. "This Demise game changed something, but I've been in the bunker too long, so I'm not sure what. I just found out yesterday when Cleo showed up."

And they were at the cafeteria, the iron door broken from its placement. Behind the intricate statues that he'd admired before, TFC spotted the trio towards the back corner.

Cleo held Xisuma in a headlock, bending over his back to trap him in place. Cubfan straddled his lap, face tucked between Cleo's arm and Xisuma's neck and clinging with everything he had as Xisuma tried to pry him off.

Scar darted forward when TFC hesitated. "Cub!" he sounded scandalized, though the outburst succeeded in drawing a flinch from the shorter omega. "What are you doing, hunting people on your own team." The scolding seemed to calm him as Scar approached.

Until Cleo hissed, stopping Scar short and bringing Cub back to hiding his face.

"Find your own alpha. He's ours."

Her voice was low and threatening, the growl rumbling in her chest making clear that she would defend her 'territory.' Xisuma's eyes were squeezed shut with strain, but the matching growl coming from his chest wasn't something TFC was expecting.

Scar took another step forward. "Cub? Come on, lets go home and we can talk about this."

The room seemed to absolutely _flood_ with alpha pheromones, dropping Scar to his knees as he choked on the overwhelming scents of peppery chorus. TFC sneezed, keeping his feet but blinking heavily as his eyes watered. Beneath the rising growls Cubfan was whimpering, high-strung and pleading, his own burnt-sugar smell barely noticeable beneath the heavy alpha-spice.

TFC couldn't tell if Scar didn't recognize the warning, or was just too Demise-addled to care. The man lurched to his feet, hands outstretched to pull his partner away from the strange tableau.

His shout was lost as Xisuma stood and spun, Cleo springing from his back to slam into Scar's chest, knocking him away from the others. Cub's whine became even more high-pitched as Scar cried out, Cleo taking him down to the stone floor before rolling away, taking up a defensive position between them. 

TFC took a deep breath, focusing on projecting an air of calm around him. It had been a long time since he'd done this last, unused instincts rising to the surface to soothe the overabundance of warring pheromones. "How about everyone calms down a moment, and we talk this out like clear-headed adults."

He had Cleo and Scar's attention, but the betas weren't his main concern. Where Cub had been clinging to Xisuma moments ago, now he clawed at the arms gripping him, focused on where Scar sprawled on the floor.

"Xisuma." TFC kept his voice neutral, as steady as the stone he stood on. "Let the omega go to his partner." He fought not to wince at the low growl he got in response, the change in alpha-scent from warning to discomfort. "He's not yours, X, let 'em go." He didn't dare look away, but needed to warn Scar.

"Scar, gonna need you to take Cub and run. Don't look back, and block up the entrance behind you." He waited only long enough to hear Scar's wavery assent, eyes locked on Xisuma. "Cleo-darlin'? Are you back with me?"

She didn't sound happy about it, but she answered. "What the everloving _fuck_ , Tin?" and she shifted towards him, bringing attention back to her with the movement.

His voice snapped out like a whip. " **Stay**."

Everyone flinched, but Cleo pressed her face to the stone and whimpered. Cubfan bolted a moment later from Xisuma's lax grip, nearly knocking Scar over again as he clutched at his neck.

TFC spared them only a second, already aware that he couldn't hold the alpha in the room for long.

"Run, Scar!" And he put himself between them and Xisuma's feral charge.

It was like being punched in the gut, every instinct tearing in a dozen different ways as he fought to bring only one to the forefront. He wanted to fight, to claim, to mate, to run. He wanted to whine and to growl, torn between urges and the conflicting scents of arousal and fear and calm.

But nothing smelled like _home_ , or _safety_ , and he couldn't remember how he got here, or why the omega that had smelled so sweetly moments ago was turning sour as it ran away. The dry-dust smell of an angry beta was even more confusing, breaking down the scent he was trying to lay. It caught at his throat, burned with disapproval and deceit, and then the beta was between him and the hurting omega.

He charged without thinking, the safety of the omega overriding everything else, dodging the grey-haired beta with a snarl.

And ran face-first into the reinforced shield that appeared in front of him. He reeled back, dazed and uncoordinated, the smell of fresh blood overpowering the mess of confusing pheromones. A weight hit him from the side and then he was rolling, the first beta's arm around his neck again. He bucked her off this time, snarled through the blood smeared across his face and pinned her, angry and hurt and barely aware that the omega was gone, spirited away by another beta. He took out his anger on this one, catching her hips and slamming her into the wall, covering her a moment later and pinning her where she fell. Her heartbeat was rabbit-fast beneath his teeth, clamped down in warning as she went entirely limp beneath him.

But he'd forgotten to watch the other one. A fist hit the side of his head, slamming it against the wall beside him, and he lost track of everything for a while.

***********

TFC winced at the pain in his shoulder, still sore after being bashed by his own shield and then hauling Xisuma’s dead weight back to a more private location. 

_Bloody hell, X. Why couldn't you just tell someone about this._ He tried not to think of all the reasons players kept their traits to themselves. He didn't want to have to consider that Xisuma hadn't felt _safe enough_ to share it.

Even sleeping off a hard hit, the man was putting off enough stray pheromone to stink up the room, testing TFC's own control. Cleo wasn't as lucky, or maybe not as used to suppressing her reactions. She was whining, curled up and rubbing herself against the iron bars he'd locked her inside, her entire attention taken by the out of it alpha.

Who was currently glaring at him. Great. He'd hoped that punch would have kept him out long enough to call for some backup.

"Well, did I manage to knock some sense back into your hormone-addled brain?"

He had to take a step back to avoid the teeth-bared lunge in response.

"How dare you!" Xisuma seemed to be looking through him, only half-focused on him as he struggled against expert knots that held him to the bed. "Stole my omega, you can't- it’s not.. I want.." his eyes were unfocused as he dissolved into growls, not even able to put the words together.

Cleo's panting made him afraid to even look her way. 

"Tin? Come on, just let-"

"Stoppit, darlin'. I ain't letting anybody do _anything_ until you both can settle down and discuss this like adults."

He could still hear her pressing against the bars, hear the swish of her clothes as she moved.

"I don't think you're gonna have a choice soon, Tin." Her voice dropped another octave, soothing at a raw nerve he didn't realize he had. "Alpha's gonna need to rut, unless you're offering yourself up for his knot." Her calmness went from reassuring to quietly alarming.

_Aw, fuck._ "Cleo, I can contact Joe for ya-"

Her next comment was directly into his ear, as her arms wrapped around his chest. He shouldn’t have left her out of his line of sight. "You're even cuter if you think Joe doesn't already know. He doesn't want an alpha fight, and I can hold my own." She turned him aside for a deceptively sweet kiss, even as he heard wood splinter behind them. "You can join us, or stay out of our way."

And she spun them both, so that she was falling backwards into Xisuma's arms, rope still hanging from his wrists. Eyes closed she arched with pleasure, her arms coming up to wrap around his neck and grind back into the alpha's aborted charge.

Violet eyes stared back at TFC, daring him to steal his new prey. TFC met the glare evenly and refused to back down.

"I'll stay, thank you." Not that he was expecting either of them to thank him.

Cleo twisted in that contortionist way she had, ignoring the grip that Xisuma had on her shirt as it twisted and tore in his hands. He held her up easily as her legs wrapped around his waist, and the low growl was accompanied by more heavy pheromones as she buried her face into his neck.

TFC sighed and resigned himself to watching over his friends' feral coupling. Neither seemed to care about the broken bed or the stone floor, shedding the remainder of their clothes and probably forgetting about him entirely.

Maybe he should correct that.

Regardless of Cleo being just as beta as he was, her usual dusty scent was turning sweet again, similar to how he'd found her in the shopping district. More floral than fruity, he mused as he cleared out the corner and reset two beds together. It mixed well with Xisuma's scent, and he wondered for a moment if they could have been a compatible pair. 

He shrugged the thought away, deciding it didn't matter anyway. Their world was a haven from outside pressures - from family and societal expectations alike. 

Cleo's yelp had him spinning back around, grabbing Xisuma at the back of the neck to pull him off of her. He got a hiss from Cleo and a kick to his ribs for the trouble, before tossing Xisuma at the freshly made bed. 

The alpha blinked at him, possibly more startled than anything else, head tilted to clear the loose hair out of his eyes. TFC found his own gaze drawn to the red marks on the alpha's neck, fresh hickies standing out against his pale skin. Violet eyes flicked over, warning him before Cleo pressed back against his side, sliding her fingers into his.

"Wanna help me tame an alpha, Tin?"

He lifted her hand and kissed her fingers, watching the play of emotions crossing over Xisuma's face at the gesture. Gone now was the mindless rage, but the look of longing and not so subtle hurt didn't make him feel much better. "What do you want from me, Cleo."

She tugged him forward, reaching out with her free hand to cup the back of Xisuma's head, grinning as he leaned into the touch. "Anything he'll give us, dear heart."

Cleo took the lead much too easily, she thought, especially for such a strong alpha in the room. Though to be fair, she _had_ let TFC bang her hard and wring her out only hours ago. And as for X…

Void below, she may just need to lock him in a closet later with Joe. He went from feral to uncertain and back in mere ticks, as if he had no idea what to do with himself. Even Joe on suppressants hadn't been that out of touch with his urges. And she knew that X had dated before, even if he wasn't a part of the shenanigans and occasional partner-swapping half of the server participated in.

But his scent was _delicious_ , and before she knew it she had him on his back, practically melting under her touch as she scraped her nails against his neck and sensitive glands, bit across his collarbones and trapped his impressive alpha-cock against his stomach as she rocked her pelvis against it. TFC was a grounding presence behind her, a hand steady on her hip, and scent much more agreeable now that he wasn't trying to throw everything off.

"How'd you learn that trick, Tin?"

She could feel his gaze on her ass as she lifted it to reposition herself. 

"Are you sure this is the time to talk about it?"

Her hands slid into Xisuma's fine hair, directing his mouth to her nipples, humming appreciatively as he lavished them with attention, and his hands wrapped around her ribs to support her weight. "As good a time as any, and helps stave off the brain fog." Her moan turned into a laugh as she failed to prove her point, Xisuma catching on quickly to non-verbal direction.

TFC's callused hands kneaded into her ass, soft at first as he spread an unscented oil around. "Calming scent, or breakdown musk, was what I learned it as. Not all betas can produce it, and it’s not something I’ve used in over a decade." His fingers dug a little deeper, working up towards her tailbone and making her legs shiver. "Didn't honestly know if it would work."

Xisuma dipped a hand down from her chest to brush his knuckles into her mound, biting at the nipple in his mouth at the same time.

Cleo hissed at the warring sensations, grinding her hips between warm fingers on her clit and warmer hands on her ass. "Oh, fuck. Yes, just like-"

"Easy, gal. We got'cha." And TFC was pushing her down onto Xisuma's fingers and along his swelling cock, leaning into her so she couldn't buck away. Xisuma growled again and shifted his head, until he was mouthing at the skin between her breasts, nose nudged against her collarbone until his growl was vibrating through her chest.

She tilted her head, just enough to catch the hazy eyes beneath her before they closed and hid in her cleavage again. "Fuck, X. You're gonna make me regret not doing this with you earlier." She rolled her hips between their hands, letting her knees slide back until she was mostly reclined over Xisuma. A teasing tongue licked against her skin before teeth nipped again.

TFC chuckled, his dry-moss scent pleased with her body's reaction. And then his hands were lifting her hips, sliding her back and forth against Xisuma, spreading her slick and playing with her ass cheeks as moved her. "I know you're getting into this, but since I get to play the level-headed one here I'm gonna ask." She could hear the smugness in his voice, she needed to fix that. "Are you gonna need any prep to take him?"

She didn't get to answer, and couldn't quite follow just how Xisuma managed to flip her and shove TFC at the same time. But she ended up with her face pressed against TFC's stomach where he sat against the wall, his erection nestled between her bitten breasts and her ass high in the air. She also didn't get a chance to complain before a wet tongue spread her open, the deep growl that rumbled with it making her eyes roll back in pleasure.

A gentle shift from TFC reminded her that she had two men to please her. It took a little more effort now, but she focused on not giving over immediately to the alpha behind her. 

"Well, I guess he's taking care of that." His eyes were as kind as ever as TFC brushed a thumb over her bottom lip, tugging gently as she gasped. "What can I do for you, Cleo?"

He was much too unaffected by all of this, she decided. Nevermind that thinking was getting markedly more difficult as Xisuma ate her out, tongue and pheromones working together to melt her damn brain. She wiggled her ass when Xisuma paused to breathe, and that little motion brought a quiet hiss from TFC as her breasts shifted against his cock.

She grinned, and let it grow as she imagined how she'd look. And then lifted her hands to squeeze her breasts together, trapping him between them.

"Come on, Tin. Fuck 'em for me."

His hips jerked at the command, pushing her forward and nearly knocking her over. She laughed and moaned as he caught at her, fingers digging at and _into_ her chest, one hand catching beneath her exposed ribs. The movement pushed her just enough back that Xisuma clamped his lips at her shift, gasping a moment later directly into her folds.

"Fuck, X, just.." she had to get the damn words out, before she fought to ride his face into the mattress. "Fuckin' fuck me already, would you?"

TFC held her up again just enough to slide his cock between her tits, smoothing the catch of their skin with the precome he was already leaking. She wanted to moan again, but Xisuma moved his face without permission, and she was gonna-

Teeth sunk into her buttcheek as fingers plunged deep into her cunt, and she howled with her orgasm as the smug alpha behind her pumped and curled his fingers, stretching her as she clenched around him. 

He leaned back for only a moment, pleased at the sounds his partner was making, the way her insides and outsides fluttered around his fingers. _He_ had done that, brought her to the pleasure his instincts screamed that his partner deserved, that he should provide. And the other beta was helping, his arousal helped along as he pressed back in, kissing and sucking gently at the teeth marks he’d left on the lovely ass in front of him. He twisted his hand, adding another digit inside the dripping folds, using the rocking motion already in place to loosen her further, savoring the sweetening of her scent as her juices ran down his wrist. She wasn’t an omega, but she was happy and enjoying herself, and wiggling back at him when he withdrew his hand.

He licked his fingers, stealing a moment to preen at the beta that met his gaze. A rumble built in his chest, not the possessive growl from earlier, but something softer, something he remembered feeling quite a while ago. The beta grinned at him, and shifted his hands to the lovely beta’s bottom, tugging her further up, baring her wet folds to the air as she was pressed into his abdomen. 

And still she eagerly flexed at him, scent thickening to match his, intermingling with the beta’s to make the room smell _safe_ and _comfortable._ She snarled something, her words muffled against their partner, but meaning clear to his senses. 

She _wanted_ him, wanted him to take and satisfy her, to sink into her body and sate himself.. 

TFC noticed the shift in scent, projecting _warm_ and _wanted_ as he waited to see if Xisuma would, well, take the bait. Cleo was practically biting at his stomach, grumbling and trying to break away from his grip. He was pretty sure she’d pounce, alpha or no, if he let her go. And damned if he was gonna chase these two all over the room. He breathed out as Xisuma finally moved, his fingers brushing against TFC's as the alpha pressed forward, finally started to fill Cleo like she wanted, pushing her further up against his chest. He shifted his grip back towards her hips, directing her back, enjoying the slide of her ample tits over his trapped erection. 

Of course, as soon as her mouth was free, gleeful profanity filled the air.

“Cleo.”

She moved a hand close enough to pinch at the nearest part of him she could reach. “Fucking _move_ , Tin. Or you’re gonna lose these gorgeous breasts and get my mouth instead.”

He shook his head, giving her only a little thrust as he waited for Xisuma to seat himself and move. “I had that earlier, love. You can be patient, give an alpha a good time.”

A green eye glared up at him. “Move your hands and I’ll be happy to show him a good time. It’ll be the last thing he sees before I fuck him to respawn.”

His hands covered hers instead, knowing without a word being spoken that Xisuma was ready. “How about we show you, instead?”

Hands trapped beneath his, he relished the tiny moment when she realized that she was at _their_ mercy, and then her body was moved between them, Xisuma providing the push and him the pushback. Their alpha caught on quick, steadying her hips, angling her body to drag against TFC’s, grinning as a long leg arched back to kick behind him. As if Xisuma had given him permission, he let himself fall into the rhythm, pushing his hips up as Cleo slid back, breathing in deeply of their scents mixed together, pheromones and sex both, and he couldn’t remember a time when it smelled so _good._

It hadn’t been his intention to come so quickly, but Cleo hit another peak and damn near squeaked, one of her hands slipping out of his and digging into his side as Xisuma kept her moving, steady strokes as he adjusted to her squirming. His own ejaculate slicked her lovely breasts as he groaned, and Cleo somehow managed to still give him an evil smirk before running her tongue through it on her next push.

“Such a dirty mouth, darlin’.” He recognized the look she gave him, resigning himself to paying for that later.

Cleo basked only briefly in the lethargic pull of another lovely orgasm. But TFC was getting cocky, and she still had an alpha to put in his place. She knew most betas had no overwhelming desire for a knot, but years of taking Joe’s gave her a leg up on most of ‘em. 

Including but not limited to knowing how _she_ liked to take them.

She waited until Xisuma pulled back again, complacent with how easily she had allowed him to move her around so far. So it was easy enough to jerk out of his grip, swing a leg up to catch his neck, and flip him onto his back beside TFC. She snarled back at X’s silly alpha-display of protest, namely by kissing the growl right out of his mouth before shoving her cunt back on his alpha fucking cock and grinding down. Hard.

Xisuma’s whimper just ramped her right back up, biting at his lips before pulling away. She’d intended to make a smart comment, reassert herself before riding her partner into a happy oblivion.

What she got instead, was Xisuma grabbing the back of her neck with one hand and pinching her clit with the other, and being more than capable of lifting her knees from the bed with his first thrust. And the angle was nice, the way his fingers caught and teased at her as she bounced down, the way her abdomen squeezed around him as he shoved into her, his knot just tantalizingly out of reach when he pulled back. She tugged at the hand around her neck, and found herself pulled closer instead of released. Xisuma kissed her like he was starving, hesitant and shallow, as if waiting for her to pull away in earnest. So she growled back, planted her toes against TFC behind her, and showed him just _how_ she liked to be fucked.

It was thrilling, the burn in her muscles, the feel of TFC flexing behind her as he moved, the body beneath her that shoved up and rumbled against her chest as they gave in to the heat between them. She raked her nails over his neck again, breathing in the spice and then mouthing at the tender gland, tasting the sweat and sinking into the aphrodisiac quality of an alpha. And when his rhythm faltered she picked it up, sliding out of his grip to lean back, caught and supported by wide familiar hands as she pressed down on Xisuma’s knot, fucking herself onto the wonderful stretch, and howling at the ceiling as her alpha knotted and filled her, his hands digging painfully into her hips and sending her over the edge as well.

The heavy weight on his chest breathed in time with him, content and sweetly sated, held close by his knot and the arms tucked beneath his shoulders. He had done well, his partners happy scents filling his chest with warmth and pride, content to drift in the aftermath of their pleasure. 

It had been a long time since he'd done this last. The thought had been there on occasion, he didn't think he had a reason not to couple with the people he loved. Nothing he could remember at least, in the welcoming fog of pheromones and sex-scent.

He brushed his fingers through the long hair on top of him, smoothing and gathering it together. His beta friend slept soundly on his chest, seeming to be perfectly comfortable where she was, or too tired to care.

"Don't worry about Cleo, she'll tell 'ya if she doesn't like something."

His voice felt hoarse, though he didn't remember screaming. "And you?"

The beta gave him an odd smile, grey hair nearly covering an eye. "Me.. what? You don't think I can hold my own?" But his scent wasn't upset, still content where he lounged against the headboard.

He wasn't sure why, but he wanted this one's approval. "Will you tell me what you like?" The beta's control of himself seemed so familiar, a little tickle of a memory that he'd buried somewhere. 

Even the startled look he got for the question, somewhere he had seen that on a different face..

A sleepy mumble from his snuggling beta didn't give him the warning he needed before open teeth closed warningly over his throat, pressing just enough to believe in the sudden unspoken threat. He froze in place, not sure what he'd done to upset her.

And then he was released, flinching away from long hair in his face as she rolled away from his rapidly shrinking knot and cocooning herself in the pile of blankets instead.

All apparently without waking up.

The snicker from the beta beside him brought his attention back, stunned and a little hurt at the laughter.

"I think I have a new respect for our dear Joe. Oh, come off it, I ain't laughing at you." He was offered a strong grip, and pulled up the bed to sit beside him. And he didn't seem to mind when he pressed close, nosing at the underside of his neck to chase the beta's faint scent.

"You're not gonna' find much there, X." His voice rumbled pleasantly against his face. "I've always been a soft smeller."

"You weren't, earlier." He leaned back just far enough to meet his stare. "You were mad, when I lost control." The admission niggled at him, something he was supposed to remember.

But the beta shook his head. "Not just you- everyone in that room was addled. Including me, or I wouldn't have upset you like that."

"But you were right to do it." There was something there, an emotion that warred with his instincts, uncomfortable and he thought, maybe unwanted.

Blue eyes seemed to follow his unease. "You look like you're gonna' start steaming from your ears. What's troubling you?"

The turn of phrase distracted him from the thought, lost beneath the calming scent under his nose. He fought the urge to sniff. "Doing it again."

He had the grace to nod. "You were uncomfortable, and I didn't want you to wake Cleo."

The name didn't want to stick in his head, and he should probably be concerned about that. But it was easier to lean in, telegraph his intent to kiss the beta who sat with him, who cared enough to pay attention and adjust.

Dry lips met his without protest, accepting his benediction. He wanted to claim him as well, make this beta just as happy and sated as his other.

TFC let Xisuma kiss him, following his instinct to let the alpha lead, at least for now. Something was still off, still bothering Xisuma, but he didn't know how to draw it out of him. The admin was nearly as reclusive as he was, and talked about himself even less.

He was a pretty good kisser, though. TFC leaned back and Xisuma followed, kneeling over his lap, steadying himself with a hand against the headboard. Xisuma had been hesitant before, kissing Cleo, and he'd expected more of the same. Instead he got a lapful of muscled alpha, who kissed like he was tasting a new food source and trying to memorize flavors he didn't have words for. He hadn't lied to Cleo, he didn't usually care for coupling with alphas- their ideas of control were rather much for his old-fashioned habits. But Xisuma wasn't fighting him for control of the kiss, or even pressing his body against him yet, other than where his knees rested on either side of TFC's thighs.

He broke the kiss with a little huff, and met Xisuma's eyes. They were still hazy and dilated, and focused on him. "What are you looking for from this, X?"

Xisuma tilted his head. "Want to make you feel good. You haven't told me what you like yet."

"You've never been interested before, though. Why now?"

The alpha just blinked at him. "Why not?"

TFC hesitated, that feeling of something being off returning. "Why not.. now? Or before?" He lifted a hand to brush against Xisuma's cheek. "What's going on in your head?"

Xisuma immediately nuzzled the open hand, lifted his head and tucked it beneath his ear and against his scent gland. "Pack. Need to make you feel good. Happy like the other pack."

"The other pa.. like _Cleo_?"

Xisuma's scent was rising again, and it wasn't because of where his hand was. The strong peppery pheromone clung to him, heavy and claiming. Distracting as well, from TFC's realization that Xisuma _couldn't remember their names._

It was getting harder to think, the arousal rolling off of Xisuma overriding whatever calm he’d had before. Xisuma returned to kissing him, pressing closer, running his hands over TFC’s shoulders, squeezing along his forearms and tugging them down towards his chest. And already starting to grind against him, the roughness of his uninflated knot dragging against TFC’s hip. Stars above, he couldn’t imagine how this would be affecting an omega if they were to come across Xisuma like this.

He tore his mouth away, panting and fighting the urge to match Xisuma’s thrusts against him. “X, tell me you’re not in rut right now.”

He should probably worry about the way Xisuma was mouthing along his shoulder. 

“Not. On suppressants.”

TFC blinked at the ceiling, trying to focus on the nips of teeth against his collar, and not on the cloying musk beneath his nose. “Not smelling like this, you’re not. When was your last- ow!”

Xisuma had sunk his teeth in, growling against his shoulder. TFC had a hand around the back of his neck before he thought about it, squeezing in warning. “Let go, alpha.” Xisuma growled again and he shook lightly. “Gonna muzzle you if you don’t let go.”

He pulled Xisuma back, keeping one hand on his neck and reaching for Xisuma’s leaking cock with the other. The alpha’s eyes were closed, lips still back in a silent snarl. “Is this what your problem is? Hot in rut and no one to spend it with? Just need a hand on your dick and someone to tell you to back off?” He jerked Xisuma off roughly, the burning of pepper in the back of his throat. “I haven’t seen someone this feral with a rut since.. “ he lost his train of thought, Xisuma trying to growl and whine at the same time, hands shoving at his shoulders as he spilled over his hand without losing any hardness.

He didn’t have the leverage he needed in this position. Fuck, they were lucky Cleo took his first knot, got him settled at all inbetween. He’s not prepared to handle an over-hormoned alpha, doesn’t have any of the extra accessories ready. Xisuma wriggled against his hold, trying to get to him again. He needs the skin-on-skin contact, TFC knows what he wants probably better than Xisuma does.

It’s a struggle, but he manages to turn the alpha around, pull his back to TFC’s chest and manages to get his hand back where the alpha wants it, trying to ignore his own body’s pull.

He kicks a pillow at where Cleo’s curled up at the foot of the bed. “I can use an extra set of hands here.”

The glazed green eyes that peek out from the blankets don’t give him much hope for higher-thought help. “Cleo, please tell me you have your ‘toybox’ in an ender chest.”

Cleo wrinkled her nose, feeling fucking sore and overly warm in the blankets she was wrapped in. She pressed her nose into the blankets, trying to rub out the sharp pepper that made her want to sneeze. Tin’s voice washed over her, low and nearly a growl, making her wish he was in a position to put that growl to use.

She blinked out at him, the musk of sex and arousal still heavy in the room, and the alpha in his lap was panting hard enough to be practically spraying more of it around.

She missed what he said next, her gaze drawn to the alpha-cock in his hand, flushed and messy and begging to be sat on.

“Cleo!”

TFC wasn’t glaring at her, but he wasn’t happy, trying to keep hold of the man in his lap. She was needed, his scent overpowered by the alpha’s, she had to help. It was like wading through ocean without depth strider though to pull words forward. 

“Mmm, Tin?”

His eyes softened, encouraged her. “Cleo, please tell me you have your toybox with you.”

Toybox. Toys? Oh. Help the alpha. She could do that, alpha needed more than they could give him. She had help, when Joe hits his rut. Not often, but even she can’t keep up with him then, his need to constantly knot, can’t keep his fancy words together otherwise.

“In my ender chest.” She crawled out of the blankets, drawn by the alpha-spice, held in place by Tin’s grip on him. “Don’t have one though.”

Alpha smelled good, smelled like her and a favorite beta, smelled like rut and spice and _tasty._ She draped herself over him, licking at his neck, trying to get closer even as he fought the arms around him to try grabbing at her. His growling pants were washing away her tiredness, making her burn to take him inside and play with her again. But there were arms in the way and alpha kept squirming, twisting to catch her mouth or her chin, acting like she was a little omega to bite and claim.

So she leaned back instead, teased him with another hand around his messy cock, grinning with all of her teeth as he snarled at her outside of his reach. She can handle an alpha, knows how dense they can be in rut, and how to enjoy herself. It takes her a long minute to realize it's _her_ name being called by the stout beta behind him.

"What?"

Dark eyes flicked towards the side of the bed. "Ender chest, love. Whatever you have to help."

She gave the lovely cock in her hand a tight squeeze and a vicious twist before letting go, dodging his kick as she slid off the bed. Her grey box was just where she'd left it, favorite toys and straps all clean and packed away in white wool. She wanted to purr, thinking of Joe-alpha's last rut, and what he had allowed her to do to him.

Oh, she wanted to play with this alpha, too. To add him to her pack, take care of him like she wanted to.

Her knees were starting to ache, sitting here on the cold stone and staring into the toybox she shared with Joe. She wouldn't add to the pack without talking with him first, without checking in and making sure everyone was okay with it…

Cleo looked back to the bed, at the panting alpha in TinFoil's lap, and the small smile beneath the grey beard when she focused on him.

"Back with me, Cleo?"

"Think so." It was hard to think, she could still smell the alpha-spice from here. And Tin was right in the middle of it, somehow less affected than she was. "What are we doing, Tin?"

"Well, unless we want to throw X into a bare cell and make him sweat out a rut alone," he paused as she shuddered. An alpha's rut may be quicker than an omega's heat, but were all the more powerful for it, and an alpha taken unprepared could easily hurt themselves. His voice told Cleo he had also considered the implication. "We are helping as much as he'll let us. Unless you know if he's taken a partner lately?"

Cleo shook her head, reminded of their brief conversation earlier. "Only one he ever got close to was Biffa, and he's already left." She looked mournfully at her toys. "Do you think he'd let me peg him? Or tie him up all pretty?"

TFC chuckled against the shoulder in front of him, somehow managing to ignore the panting man in his lap for the moment. "If you've got somethin' in that box of yours to calm him down long enough to ask. Or hell, if you can handle him for a few, I can make some suppressant tea."

"I got an alpha-sleeve, but he ain't gonna be happy at this point, and I'm gonna need help getting it on." She turned her best stink-eye on her beta partner. " _Some_ of us are a tad more susceptible to him apparently."

He chuckled and turned away to adjust his grip on Xisuma, the alpha twisted around in his arms and biting at his throat. 

"On second thought- hey, stop that- you wouldn't have a muzzle in there, would'ja?"

"Next best thing to it." she confirmed, holding up a rubber bit and strap. "Or a full hood, but I _really_ don't think he'll hold still for that."

She watched TFC roll up to his knees with Xisuma's uncoordinated motions, admiring the way his muscles in his thighs and shoulders flexed as he worked to pin Xisuma beneath him. The alpha may have been taller, but Tin was best known for the heavy grinding and manual work that he enjoyed, and his body showed it. His struggle was more with the flailing limbs as Xisuma refused to settle beneath him.

Cleo grabbed a couple of items and tossed them at the bed, aware that she may not be of a sound mind later to return for more. But she may be able to help with at least one thing before her brain turned to mush. The quick-snap cuffs were perfect for a good struggle, without having to worry about rope burns. 

The first one slipped on easy enough while the boys were distracted, tightened down before that heavy pepper hit the back of her throat again. She leaned forward as TFC leaned back, letting her hair fall across X's face when he turned to meet her, his arms coming up automatically to either grab her or push her away. Which made it easy to catch his other wrist and wrap that as well, clipping them together over the back of her neck.

Violet eyes blinked up at her, nearly as bright as her violent demised-green, his head neatly situated in front of her knees. "Well aren't you in a pretty position there." She didn't bother to pull her hair back, the greyed out tresses falling like a curtain around them, blocking out the other beta as he shifted beyond them. "You should put that mouth to better use."

She spread her knees and shifted forward, half eager to see if he'd take the hint or fight to get back on top.

He tugged at his wrists, urging her forward, tilting his head back to lick a hot stripe up the inside of her thigh as she moved. And she groaned when he did, nipping at her clit before delving right into her slick folds, lapping and shoving his tongue into her sensitive center. She leaned forward and pressed her hips down, enjoying the zing of his nose rubbing against her pnerurium, his arms trapped against her sides as she rocked against his mouth.

TFC shifted further back before moving away, leaving that lovely alpha cock bobbing in front of her, still messy and leaking. It was just out of reach, but she stuck her tongue out anyway, catching the tip as she rocked forward. The cuffs behind her neck jerked, and then she was gasping as sharp teeth teased her clit before returning to suck at her labia. Alpha got his knees up, raising his hips from the bed to wave his cock closer to her face, the musk encouraging her to capture it in her mouth, lapping and sucking at the taste of sharp spice. She moaned around the mouthful she managed, shuddering as the sounds he made beneath her seemed to vibrate up from her core. Her hands slid to cup his butt cheeks, urging him further up, closer so that she could take him deeper, her lips brushing the beginning of his knot as the blunt head reached the back of her throat.

His arms jerked again, cuffs catching on either side of her neck and shoving her forward, further onto his cock until she was choking, fingers scrambling into the blankets to pull herself back. He came on the back of her tongue, heavily spiced come blotting out all of the other smells in the room, feeling her body clench and relax into orgasm at the first swallow, slumping sideways as she forgot how to breathe.

TinFoil had chanced leaving the two of them to go at each other for just a minute, hurrying just down the hall to grab a brew stand from one of the decorated rooms. The chest in the cafeteria should have all of the potion ingredients he'd need: glowstone dust, glistering melon, sugar, fermented spider eye, water bottles. It wasn't enough to stop a full heat or rut once it started, but a few minutes of relief could help settle a bad turn. Or grant a couple of clear headed questions, at the least.

He triggered the iron door open, checking to make sure the other two were still happy on the bed, reassured by their noise and general lack of growling. Cleo seemed to be enjoying her position, judging by the urgent bobbing of her back. The little corner by the door was enough room to set up the brewer, getting the thick potion base started. He tried to breathe lightly, stay clear-headed enough to finish this job. The fresh air from the hallway helped, cutting through the strongest of the musk in the room.

The brew beside him burbled, and he almost missed the thump behind him as he leaned to add the next ingredient.

He pushed back from the tiny counter, bouncing into Xisuma's charge and knocking him to the floor. And caught the still-bound wrists, fighting back a laugh at the shiny mess of slick still all over the alpha’s face as Xisuma snarled and snapped at him.

“What’s the matter, not happy with only one beta paying attention to you?” TFC glanced back at the bed, partially reassured by Cleo’s little moans of pleasure even if her eyes weren’t focused on him. 

Beside her lay the bit she'd showed him earlier. "I'd really like to get this potion brewed for you. But if you're going to insist on being a bitey little fucker, we'll have to take care of that first." He knocked away the legs that kicked around, trying to trip him up or use his own leverage against him. Only to find that X had more than enough strength to lift himself up from the hold on his wrists and wrap his legs around TFC's waist anyway.

"Well hello, now where do you expect to go?" He shook his arm, amused at the awkwardly hanging alpha. "Neither of us are very helpful in this position." Xisuma didn't fuss as he moved back towards the bed, either figuring he'd be getting more attention, or possibly just not _thinking_ anymore. So he tried to keep his voice even, his hormones under control as he readied one of the forgotten iron bars in his inventory. And looped it through the links on Xisuma's cuffs before driving it into the ceiling over the foot of the bed.

Xisuma didn't seem to mind yet, using the better leverage to hook his ankles around TFC's waist when he stepped closer and reached around him. Tin tried to push the hair back from his face, snatched his hand back when teeth snapped again.

This time TFC grabbed a handful of hair and pulled, forcing Xisuma's face toward the ceiling to snarl at nothing. "Just remember that you asked for this." The bit fit perfectly between his teeth, thin straps caught and buckled behind his head. "There we go, something for you to chomp on." Without the fear of losing a finger it was much easier to gather and retie Xisuma's hair and wipe his face clean. And enough time that Cleo was crawling towards them again, a blanket half draped over and trailing her when she reached around Xisuma's waist, rubbing her face against his back, her breasts against his ass. TFC swiped at her face as well with the damp wool, chuckling at the content rumbles as she pulled herself up Xisuma's body. There was room enough to get Xisuma to kneel on the bed, TFC nearly already forgotten.

"Can I trust the two of you to behave for two more minutes while I finish these potions?" It's a good thing he wasn't expecting an answer, but he sighed anyway as Cleo leaned in to start nibbling at the alpha's neck.

Maybe he should have asked her for two gags.

Her partner pulled back, leaving the alpha hanging just for her, stretched out and pressing back against her. She nipped at his neck, pleased when her bite blossomed from bruise to barely a mark. Not a Mark, not mating _this_ alpha, but she could play; already he smelled like her, smelled like pack, safe and warm. Like this she could reach most of him, could almost hold him in place when he tried to twist back to reach her. And ooh, she knew that bit, was usually in _her_ mouth when she nipped too many times. She ran her lips along the thin leather strap, using alpha to pull herself up, sticking her tongue around the bit in his mouth to tease as she let her nails dig into the lovely warmth of the chest beneath her palms. 

Alpha didn’t seem to mind, liked it even when she got a mouthful of his chorus-spiced scent, chasing it as he growled, turning his head to rub against hers. She ducked his chin, grinning with all of her teeth as she pulled back, made him sway against the bar that held him in place trying to catch her. He needed ribbons, she decided. Alphas looked good in pretty ties, that held them still while she played, instead of squirming around and trying to trap _her_ in place. 

Bottles clinked nearby, and their other beta joined them again, his calm scent and thick arm pushing her away from alpha and towards the wall, pressing one into her hands. Stars above, she was parched, and drank half of it down before the bitter aftertaste hit her. Alpha didn't seem to care for it, dribbled into his mouth around the bit. But their partner was attentive, clearing his mouth and holding alpha in place, making sure they were taken care of.

Another gulp of the potion and hers was nearly gone, and she grimaced at the taste now. It was nearly as bad as she smelled, her skin sticky with sweat and sex, and the room rank with loose pheremones, too slowly clearing from the open door and TFC’s dry scent. 

Ugh. She wanted a bath and a good massage, and was unlikely to get either for another day. Like being sober in the middle of a drunken party, she was viscerally aware of the mess and stink of the room and her partners. TFC was helping Xisuma back onto the bed, tucking the alpha between them as he coaxed him to drink more of the pale potion. The growling died down as it took effect, leaving Xisuma listing against TFC, his cuffed hands pressed against his stomach.

TFC sat back finally, an arm still around Xisuma's shoulders; for comfort or in case he tried to run again, Cleo figured. "Sorry it's not the best tasting, but should give us a little reprieve to chat a minute."

Cleo would have said something humorous and scathing about his brewing recipe, but Xisuma's dejected voice interrupted.

"I shouldn't be here."

Cleo scoffed and poked his arm before TFC could say anything. "And what did you expect us to do? Leave you alone to suffer through a rut?" She wasn't surprised at his flinch, actually, she was more surprised that he hadn't run yet. 

"We're not going to chase you off, X." TFC met Cleo's eyes for a tick before focusing on the morose alpha again. "Unless there's someone else who usually helps, if you'd like us to call them instead?"

Xisuma shook his head. "Been on suppressants for years, don't wanna force anyone. I should leave-"

TFC snorted. "In case you didn't notice, you're spraying pheromone all over right now. You leave the bunker and someone else is going to jump you. And I wouldn't put it past the Concorp boys to still be hanging out topside, waiting for the chance."

Xisuma groaned, covering his face for a brief moment. "Fuck, the code's all janky. Cub shouldn't be- _I_ shouldn't… It's all _wrong,_ and I can't fix it when I'm _stupid._ "

Oh, that was not acceptable _at all._ Cleo climbed back into his lap, making room for herself, tugging at his hands until she could set her forehead against his. And wow, this was close, when she was used to doing this against his visor, the tinted glass usually hiding just how bright his eyes were. "X. You are _not_ stupid. Horny and wanting to fuck, yes, but so far it's been a good time. Nobody here is complaining." She risked letting go of a hand to cup his cheek, smiling when he leaned into the touch. "If you don't _want_ us, that's something else, but we're already here and willing to help."

She watched the play of emotions crossing his face, so expressive with no helmet to block the view. 

"I haven't… I don't _know.._ "

TFC's voice was still gentle. "When _was_ your last rut, X?"

"I haven't, not since moving to Hermitcraft." Cleo could feel him trying not to tense beneath her, light and fidgety. "The armour helps, but Demise changed the code, made everything.. worse? more? I don't even know."

His breaths were getting deeper, blinking more slowly as he leaned more of his weight into her. "I was right, then. Demise made everyone horny."

Xisuma nodded and his head slipped to the side, resting now on her shoulder between her and TFC. "Code broke, ignores suppressants and sends heat signals to the Demised. Doesn't care if it's time or not. Doesn't care if I don't want to hurt my friends."

"Do either of us look injured, X?" Cleo scraped her nails across the back of his neck, digging in a little deeper when he grunted and shifted, his chorus spice faint but returning. As well as the erection trapped beneath her, and Cleo had to remember not to grind down, wanted to get this settled between them before they went any further. "X, look at me." he lifted his head with a wince. "None of that, now. I'm happy to be here, and I'm having a good time if you are. I'm happy to be part of your pack, alpha."

She could feel the squeeze of TFC's arm around Xisuma's back. "Same here. If you'll have us." The beta's low rumble made her shiver.

"I.." Xisuma closed his eyes, but offered a small smile. "Thank you, both of you." He took a deeper breath, TFC's scent now floating between them. "Potion's wearing off, what.." He twisted his hands, waited for Cleo to lean back before tapping his knuckles against her chest.

She grinned back at him as he opened his eyes, a shy, sly smile given to her as he held up his still-bound wrists.

"How do you want me?"

TFC held Xisuma in place, warm against his side and surrounded by the currently calm betas. "It's harder to judge the timing without knowing how your body usually handles a rut. But we've probably already burned through most of it."

Xisuma nodded, watching Cleo take his wrists and massage around the edges of the cuffs. "Probably started yesterday, and I was too distracted to notice the signs."

"Or not familiar with them, if you haven't had a rut in so long." she put in.

"So how about a change, then, to get us over the hump." He waited for Xisuma to focus on him, could tell that he was already trying to remain calm and not dissolve back into a mess of hormones.

The alpha licked his lips, meeting his gaze with almost clear eyes. "What.. do you have in mind?"

Cleo, bless her beautiful, quick, _horny_ mind, answered for him.

"Let your pack claim _you,_ X." Her voice drew a shiver from Xisuma. "Would that be enough, or something you'd like?"

Xisuma was nodding before she finished, pressing his face into TFC's arm as he flushed. 

Cleo chuckled, a darkly amused sound. "I thought you might. I have my toys and strapless in my ender chest, unless you prefer the real thing."

"'s fine."

TFC tapped a finger against the arm he held. "If you have a preference, say so. We'll do our best to accommodate."

But Xisuma was shaking his head, and Cleo was out of the bed, already accessing her grey shulker box again. TFC pulled Xisuma into his lap, rearranging half of the bed for the dozenth time as he tried to make themselves comfortable. He settled with his back against the wall, and Xisuma laying across his chest and legs, his arms tucked around TFC's back so the beta could hold him in place. TFC ran his hands over Xisuma's back, helping him relax into his scent and embrace.

Cleo was back on the bed barely a tick later, spilling another collection of items across the rumpled blankets. Xisuma twisted in TFC's hold, trying to see what the noise was, and earned himself a slap to his thigh from Cleo instead.

"Behave, or you’ll get nothing."

TFC squeezed a little tighter, trying to give him something to ground on. "If you don't want this, say so now. We’re just trying to help you out.”

Xisuma squirmed in his grip, trying to slide back towards Cleo, but getting twisted up in the sheets instead. “You don’t have to, just because I-”

Cleo pinned him in place with simple efficiency by laying over his back. Tinfoil could feel her knees on the inside of his thighs, trapping Xisuma between them. “And if we want, as well? Are you going to argue that all of us wanting the same thing doesn’t matter, just because it will make you feel good?”

TFC chuckled as Xisuma grumbled into his chest, pretty sure that the rising heat between them was the alpha’s blush, and not just the rut. The light moan that followed made him look back to Cleo.

“You’re lucky I keep my nails short for this, you know.” Her chin rested on one of Xisuma’s buttocks, her shoulder moving in little motions to the side, eyes half-lidded as she stared at Xisuma’s back. “Joe likes the occasional tease, but we save the pegging for times when he just doesn’t want to _think_ for a while.” TFC adjusted his hold, allowed Xisuma to settle himself, his hands dropping down to clench in the bedsheets as Cleo stretched him open. “I shouldn’t be surprised that you’d probably enjoy the same.”

She wasn’t even looking for a verbal response, watching him shiver and try to press back into her touch. “And I _like_ pegging alphas.”

Xisuma was relaxing under her touch, scent evening out as Cleo’s adjusted, and TFC found himself subconsciously balancing them out. He risked bringing up a hand, brushing Xisuma’s hair back from his face, running rough knuckles over the back of his neck.

The alpha purred under the touch, the sound rumbling loud between them before it cut out.

Cleo caught it as well. “Do that again, Tin. That was nice.”

Xisuma didn’t move when TFC lifted his other arm, no longer pinning the alpha in place. He ran his hands over Xisuma's back instead, up his sides and down his spine, careful not to push or disturb Cleo’s careful movements. There wasn't much that he needed to do to help Cleo, other than smooth away the small tremors, give X something else to focus on.

And it wasn't needed for long, when Xisuma abruptly twisted beneath his hands, Cleo grinning like a wolf behind him as he broke out in a fresh peppery sweat.

"More," he demanded, rocking back into her. TFC chuckled and pinned his shoulders, letting Cleo rearrange their legs, hooking Xisuma's knees over TFC's thighs, laughing as TFC caught his ankles under his calves, spreading him out and holding him in place. 

"Oh, I am happy to give you more." For all of the feral lust in her voice, her movements were slow and meticulous as she leaned into him, twisted her arm until Xisuma was growling into TFC's stomach. "Such a strong alpha, to service his pack, let us claim you like you deserve." She nipped at his ass, caught his searching fingers with her free hand and squeezed, all the while pulling wordless noises from his throat. "I want to see you pinned between the two of us, taking our pleasure until you're completely wrung out and begging for me to sit on your knot again."

She was going to kill him. She would kill him, and TFC was going to witness it, and void take him but he would thank them both. His skin was already on fire, barely banked beneath TFC's hands on his shoulders, fanned by the stretch behind him and every time Cleo twisted her fingers _just_ like that.

Their scents were delicious, wrapped around him like their bodies, spreading him out so he couldn't move, had to move between them, into them. She shifted back, took her fingers away and left him empty, left him pressing back until he shifted beneath him…

The smell of TFC's arousal spiked and he moved his head just enough- and his cock was _right there_ and he swallowed it with a groan, his beta bucking into his mouth with more than a whimper, mostly a soft curse as he fought for a good position to take it in, take it as deeply as their scents were inside of him.

Someone pushed him, repositioned him and then he could breathe again, gulping around the kicking warmth in his mouth, easing it into his throat as a slick hardness pressed against his empty hole and eased inside.

He shuddered at the feeling, felt hands gripping and supporting him as he turned into slime between them, pressed open and filled and _surrounded_.

Why in the deep void hadn't he done this before? 

Cleo purred at Xisuma going boneless between them, rocking her second favorite double ended into him. The bulb in her cunt gave her plenty of grip, and long practice had her rolling her hips in slow motion, relishing the drag and pull as she fucked into her partner. Without knowing his preference, she'd selected a slimmer model, something easy to take and that she could get off on as well.

TFC's fingers met hers along Xisuma's side, supporting, pulling them closer together as she eased her toy further inside, watching Xisuma’s back shiver and flex. It was a powerful feeling, to have both of these men beneath her, moaning and shaking in pleasure. Xisuma with his ass in the air, alpha cock hanging prettily beneath him as he swallowed around TFC's, face nearly buried against the grizzled beta. He wasn't going to last much longer, her beta partner. 

She leaned into Xisuma's back, pulling him against her, pressing her hips up and angling for that spot that her fingers had found earlier. It took her two more rolls to hit it, Xisuma tensing beneath her, his shout muffled against TFC's skin. She breathed deeply of his spice, holding his hips, allowing him a breath before shoving him back down, grabbing the next toy as they shifted.

TFC caught her motion, eyes glazed with the influx of pheromone again, near hand caressing more than directing his sloppy blowjob. He managed to quirk an eyebrow in silent question, as if asking how long she planned to go.

She palmed the new toy, giving him a smirk as she readjusted her stance, let her eyes close for a moment as the slow orgasm washed through her from the movement, helped along by the little wiggles Xisuma was making, bouncing the bulb inside her. TFC groaned and grabbed at her arm, bringing her attention back before she lost herself in the next one.

The room was closing in, narrowed to the bed and the spicy sweet scent between all of them as they rocked together, caught the rhythm and moved as one. TFC lost it first, uncoordinated hands trying ineffectively to pull Xisuma off of him.

The alpha was having none of it, catching at his hands, holding them against his face as he shifted, and Cleo wasn't quite sure how he was managing to breathe with Tin's cock that far down his throat. 

She had her own surprise for Xisuma, aiming again to drag her toy across his prostate, feeling him twitch and try to buck beneath her, the cute noise he made as he gagged on the dick in his mouth. Tin's hands covered his face, held him for just a moment as she slipped the alpha sleeve over his neglected cock. And rolled her hips, once, twice more before pulling the sleeve up, forcing it back and over his swelling knot.

He came soundlessly beneath her hand, bucking into the tight sleeve, pulling her into another orgasm as he mindlessly twisted and moved and by extension the toy that still connected them, the musk of his spilling come so thick she could taste it, laughing as it stuck in the back of her throat as she swallowed against the full-body tingle.

And then TFC was pushing her away, shoving her into the discarded pillows as she pinched her aching clit, brought herself one more gut-clenching orgasm as he lifted the twitching alpha off of himself. Xisuma curled forward, coughing and gasping as he pawed at the knot-sleeve, eyes squeezed shut and come still dribbling from lax lips. 

TFC holds his hands again, traps him in place and claims his mouth, licks his own taste away, shares it with him. There are growls behind him, a growing purr before him, and a helpless whine building in his own chest. Hands on his neck, hands on his hips, a hardness against his, a wetness against his leg. 

His pack claims him, holds him, drags him down and makes the world lag out around him. He’s caught, he’s freed, he’s unmoored and tethered to them.

In the shift of bodies and moans and fluids there is no room for thought or intent, only movement, and want and take. There is the cry of bodies pushed to their limits, the growl of need, and the gasp and wail of pleasure, over and over, pushed higher as their heat constricts and crescendos through them. 

In the end, he can’t tell which one releases his knot, only that it’s expansion signals the beginning of the end, bodies and sex haze and scent collapsing into themselves, exhausted and sated and flushed with pleasure and pride and contentment.

***********

  
  


Demise ends with a bang days later; an impressive explosion of TNT and the last life to complete the Game. The code snaps and rebounds, and the Demised are left with only their grey skins and a deficit of energy. Mumbo and Iskall pair up in a diamond-making scheme to "repair" the Hermit's good looks, while others turn to game mechanics and storyline magics.

Xisuma looks back through the code, and thanks the stars above that he'd had the foresight to program in the ending string, restoring the server's inhabitants to their former coding without a hitch.

He's exhausted. TFC and Cleo refused to accept his apologies, but he owed them more than just thanks for putting up with his overactive hormones for several days in the bunker. He'd left gifts at ConCorp and at the New New Hermitville village, so far successfully dodging any awkward face to face contact with anyone.

He needs some time away from the server. To get his head sorted out, and some perspective on just what had happened. And to decide if it's worth continuing on with the previous status quo as if nothing had happened, or changing his outlook, his _presentation_ to the world around him.

And the possibility.. the _invitation_ to be a part of a pack. To participate, instead of hiding.

He's expanded the ops list with help, several Hermits stepping up to handle the server while he takes a much needed break, and he's thankful that they're willing to do it. He'll return in the event of a major emergency, but otherwise they should be fine. 

They'll be fine without him. For a little while.

He's dozing sitting up when his alarm goes off. He has someone to meet, someone that will ground him and help him work through the mess he had put himself through. He sends off a final goodbye in chat, and lets himself smile at the immediate good wishes. And then he logs out, closing his eyes against the warped distortion of the void before he lands in the local multiverse hub. He's got the coordinates ready, keyed in and accepted without bothering to open his eyes to look around.

<Xisuma has joined the world>

There is daylight on his visor, excited barking nearby, and the soft swish of boots through the grass.

"Take your helmet off, stay awhile."

He codes in the player command, letting the entirety of his armour disappear. He's safe here, and he doesn't plan to fight or hide for a long while.

Strong arms wrap around his chest, and he lets himself melt into the comforting scent of sunwarmed tea. Lets himself reach out and be held with no expectations, no judgements, no inner influences battling for attention.

A soft glove brushes his hair back from his face, the metal hand beneath it unyielding as it reaches the back of his neck, encourages him to lean forward and rest against the forehead before him.

Dark blue eyes greet him when he finally looks up.

"Hey, there. You look like a bloomin' mess, Xisuma."

"I quite feel like one, jeez. You sure know how to make a mate feel welcome."

Biffa leans forward to kiss his nose, smirking as he pulls away and tugs Xisuma towards the cobblestone path. "Come on, then. I've got the kettle on, you can tell me all about it over a cuppa."

  
  
  



End file.
